Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 020-2026
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
1. Night-time improvement initiatives
Please describe any Trust-wide or ward-level initiatives in place during 2024/2025 aimed at improving patients’ experience at night (e.g. reducing noise, improving sleep, reducing night-time disruption).
Our response:
The wards have longstanding initiatives of lower lighting, reduced court yard access during the night and a reduction to hourly observations at night as early as is safe to do so to encourage less sleep disturbance.
You asked:
2. Policies or protocols
Does the Trust have any formal policy, protocol or guidance relating to:
o noise reduction at night,
o minimising non-urgent interventions overnight,
o minimising non-urgent ward moves during night hours?
If yes, please provide the title(s) and date(s).
Our response:
We have no formal policy, protocol or guidance.
You asked:
3. Ward moves at night
During 2024/25, did the Trust take any specific actions to reduce non-urgent patient transfers or bed moves overnight (for example after 11pm)?
If yes, please describe the actions taken.
Our response:
Bed management team during the working day and at weekends to review any potential requirements for moves to prevent non-urgent transfers at night.
You asked:
4. Staff training and awareness
Has the Trust delivered any training, briefings or awareness campaigns during 2024/25 relating to night-time care, sleep, noise reduction?
If yes, please describe.
Our response:
The Trust has not delivered any training, briefings of awareness campaigns.
You asked:
5. Measuring impact
Please indicate which of the following are used to assess night-time care experience:
o National Inpatient Survey sleep/noise questions
o real-time patient feedback
o complaints or PALS themes
o local audits or ward observations
(Please specify all that apply.)
Our response:
Ward observations – amount of sleep routinely recorded in clinical records utilising ward observation.
Complaints or PALS themes would be reviewed and responded to as identified.
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.